Neckband stretcher and shaper.



J. E. UMPLEBY.

NBGKBAND STRETGHEB. AND SHAPER.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1911.

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JAMES E. UMPLEBY, 0F TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JAMES S. FULLER, 0F KINGSTON, NEW YORK.

NECKBAND STBETCHER AND SHAPER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JAMns E. UMrLnnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Troy, Rensselaer county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Neckband Stretchers and Shapers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for stretching and shaping the neck-band of a shirt during the final laundering operation, that of ironing the starched portions. During the pressing of the shirt bosom, it has been customary to hold the neckband in erect position by some sort of spring device, usu ally a strip of brass bent to semi-elliptical form, which acted, more or less efliciently, to give the band the desired shape. It is obvious, however, that no mere spring device is capable of stretching the neck-band to its full size, which stretching is of absolute importance to the comfort of the wearer.

The object of my invention is to provide means for simultaneously shaping the band and stretching it to its full size, and at the same time determining the size of the band.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of my device in its operative position; Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse vertical sections through the plane 2 3, Fig. 1, showing two positions of the device.

11 designates the body and 12 the tail block of my device both of which are made of wood or like solid material. The body 11 is of approximately semi-elliptic form and may have a shallow recess 13 midway of its curved front. Its rear straight face is cut away at 14 to receive a metal plate 15 having upstanding ears 16, drilled to pass a hinge pin 17 In each pair of ears 16, which are spaced a substantial distance apart, is pivoted a lever 18, shown as cut away at 19 to form a toe 20. The two levers 18 are connected by a cross-bar 21, which forms a handle for their simultaneous operation. The tail block or rear portion 12 of the device has a flat face 22, to which is screwed a metal plate 23, the rear face of the block having rounded corners 24. Guide pins 25 secured in the plate 15 pass through suitable apertures in the block'12 and plate 23, to prevent any relative transverse movement of the blocks 11 and 12. Holes 26 are bored in block 11 to permit the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 27', 1911.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 640,757.

free movement of pull springs 27, secured at their inner ends by screws 28 and at their free ends engaging with eyes 29 in plate 23.

The operation of the form of my device here described is as follows: The bosom ironer clamps the washed and partially ironed shirt on a bosom board with the previously lightly ironed neck-band erect from the bosom and having a stud in its front button-holes. She then lifts the shaper, now in its closed position, see Fig. 3, by the handle 21 and places it within the neck band, then by a single downward movement on the handle forces back the tail block 12, Figs. 1 and 2, the front recess 13 serving to receive the stud in the band. By reason of the simultaneous movement of the two levers 18 and of the guide pins 25, any lateral movement of the tail block is prevented, the band is accurately shaped, and, what is of great importance, is stretched to its exact marked size. It is of course understood that the shapers are provided in sets, the total extended periphery of each block varying from the next size by one half inch. The operator then irons the bosom, and is enabled by reason of the shaper to iron closely around the neckband, while the heat of the iron further dries the band and insures its keeping its exact size. By reason of the substantially straight-line position of the levers 18, they are self-locking, so that the device remains in operative position until the operator raises thehande 21, when the springs 27 act to retract the tail block 12 to its closed position, Fig. 3.

It will be understood that each band before being stitched on to the shirt body is marked with a numeral intended to indicate its effective length. It sometimes happens that a bunch of the bands may be mismarked, or an occasional band may have one of the end or tab button-holes slightly misplaced. When the ironer lays the shirt on the bosom board, she glances at the numeral on the band and picks up the shaper having a corresponding number. If for either of the reasons given, the effective length of the band is less than the mark indicates, my device cannot be extended by forcing down the levers 18 without tearing out one of the front buttonholes. If on the other hand the band is longer than the mark indicates, the ironer instantly notes the looseness of the device within the band and lays aside the shirt for remarking. As it is of the greatest inconvenience to the final consumer to receive a mismarked and consequently useless shirt, my device in acting as a positive detector of this error is very valuable. It is also to be noted that my combined shaper, stretcher and size de tector is entirely independent of, i. 6., detached from, the bosom board or ironing table with which it may happen to be used. Mens stock shirts are ordinarily cut in about twelve. different sizes, say 131 a) 19 neck-bands, all of which sizes may with my device be ironed on the same board or clamping table, the operator being provided with a set of my shaping devices, each of which is plainly marked with a figure showing its sole and constant extended peripheral measurement. This non-adjustable, single, extended position of my device, together with the unyieldingness of its periphery due to its solid construction, by which both its extended peripheral measurement and its shape are made invariable, constitutes the especial feature of my invention. By the word block, as used in the claims, I intend a solid body of wood or like material, as distinguished from a flexible spring, which is quite inoperative to give the neckband the proper shape.

It is obvious that many mechanical alterations may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not therefore desire to be limited except by the appended claims,f

What I claim is:

1. An independent neck-band shaper and stretcher comprising a body block; a tail block; means for automatically drawing said blocks toward each other, means for preventing the lateral movement of said blocks and manually operative means for forcing said block's apart to a single, predetermined position and for positively locking them in such relation, whereby the pcripheral measurement of the extended device is made invariable.

2. An independent neck-band shaper and stretcher comprising a body block; a tail block; a spring operative to draw said blocks together; guide pins for preventing their relative lateral movement; and a manually operated lever for forcing said blocks apart to a single, predetermined position and for positively locking them in such relation, whereby the peripheral measurement of the extended device is made invariable.

JAMES E. UMPLEBY.

Witnesses EDGAR N. PALM, JEssE C. KLEIN.

Gcpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

